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Monday, November 18, 2013

Reasons why you should test your home for radon

I have been wondering why radon isn’t on the radar of New
Brunswickers. According to a Health Canada study released in 2012, New
Brunswick homes have the highest radon levels in the country yet you don’t hear
much about it.

But across the border in Maine, my brother routinely tests
clients’ homes for radon because public awareness of the dangers of the gas in
homes is high.

That 2012 Health Canada study found that almost 25% of the
New Brunswick homes participating in the cross-Canada study had radon levels
above the Health Canada guidelines of 200 Bq/m3. When the data was sifted by
population the study concluded that 20% of New Brunswickers live in homes with
radon concentrations above the Health Canada guidelines.

What’s the worry?

Exposure to radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer.

It’s estimated that 10% of lung cancer deaths in NB are associated with radon exposure.

If you’re a smoker and live in a home with radon concentrations are higher than the Health Canada guidelines the odds are not in your favour.

If you’re not a smoker but are exposed to a high level of radon your lifetime lung cancer risk is 1 in 20.

We had a test kit a couple of years ago but our dog ate the
paperwork so we never sent it off for analysis. Then last month we used a
couple of the kits from my brother to run a three-day test and found that the radon
concentration in our basement is a hair above the Health Canada guideline.

Even though we don’t spend much time in our basement it was
still a wake-up call for us. We’re now doing the three-month test recommended
by the NB Lung Association to measure the levels in our main living space and
will decide from there what needs to be done about it.

We live in an old home but this radioactive gas is found in
all homes, new or old. It seeps in from the ground, accumulating in the lower
levels of a home so if you spend time in your basement it’s even more important
that you have your home tested.

If you find that radon is a problem in your home there are
local companies that can help you make the necessary changes to get you below
the Health Canada levels. If you’re building a new home make sure your
contractor is following the new Canadian building codes that were updated in
2010 to protect against radon.

-Keep a jug of drinking water in the fridge instead of letting the tap run for a glass of cold water.

-Let Mother Nature wash your car & water your lawn.

-Or, set up a rain barrel to collect rainwater.

Tips: safe (and unsafe) uses for plastics

·Don’t heat food in plastic containers. Chemical leaching is intensified when the plastic is heated.·Avoid plastic wrap. NEVER use it in the microwave. (Use a lid or a dish towel).·Any plastics used for food should be #1, #2, #5.·Don’t put food or drink in any containers marked #7.·Rid your house of soft plastic bath toys and vinyl shower curtains.·Choose alternatives to plastics (glass, stainless steel, fabric)

Tips: cellphone safety

-Buy a low-radiation phone. Look up your phone, or search for a new phone, in this handy guide. (Check under your battery for the model number.)

-Use a headset or speaker. A headset emits much less radiation than your phone and using speaker phone mode keeps that radiation away from your head.

-Less radiation is emitted when you're texting compared to talking, and texting keeps the radiation away from your head.

-Stay off the phone if you don’t have a strong signal. Your phone will emit even more radiation when it’s working hard to get the signal to the tower.

Tips: Steer clear of bottled water

Fill water bottles at home before you head out on a road trip. Even if you’re just out and about for the afternoon.Make sure you have enough bottles for everyone in your family (and maybe a couple of extras).Bring an empty bottle with you when you travel. Fill it from the bathroom tap in your hotel room (so you’re not buying the expensive bottle of water in the room and can steer clear of plastic.)Buy a carbon filter for your kitchen tap if you don’t like the taste of your tap water. Or buy a filter jug to keep in your fridge.At restaurants ask for tap water if they offer bottled water.

Great guide to whole food cooking

It's about attitude and ingredients: a healthy measure of each will have you enjoying food the way it should be.

The reel mower: everything old is new again

This great non-polluting mower doubles as an exercise machine (just ask my husband). It's so quiet you can mow your lawn at 7 am on a Sunday and your neighbours won't hear a thing. It's easy to sharpen and is a light as a feather compared to your grandfather's version.

Great green links

About Me

I'm a green-living columnist & blogger, a food columnist & blogger & a mom of 2 kids. I'm a fan of stoneground flour, lentils and all things vegetable. As a volunteer thing I run a whole food buying group through Speerville Flour Mill which means every three months 800 pounds of organic dry goods lands in my living room. I teach cooking classes to middle school kids and am the marketing manager/recipe developed for Crosby Molasses.